COMPATIBILITY OF USE AND AGROLOGICAL CAPACITY AS AN INDICATOR OF SOIL DEGRADATION IN THE GRIJALVA RIVER BASIN

Abstract

Mexico has extensive surfaces of degraded soils as a result of their non-sustainable use, and generating indicators for zoning is required to avoid this. The compatibility of land uses and agrological capacity was evaluated in the Grijalva River Basin (GRB), in order to identify soils in risk of degradation. The cartography was generated at the level of recognition of ecogeographic regions, land use, and agrological capacity. Its superposition allowed differentiating compatibility zones through map algebra. Results show that the GRB has 16 eco-geographic regions, where natural vegetation stands out (47.6 %), agricultural use (44.9 %), and urban areas, water bodies and bare ground (7.5 %). The classes of agrological capacity are differentiated by geomorphological environments; 36.9% of the Gulf Coastal Flatland is apt for agriculture (I to IV); 38% of the soil of the Northern Chiapas Sierra and Chiapas Highlands has forestry and livestock production aptitude (V to VI); and 21.9% of the whole basin is apt for wildlife (VII). Of the GRB, 5.5% (1178.6 km2) has incompatible use with its agrological capacity, indicating the risk of degradation from hydric erosion, when presenting agricultural use in soils with severe limitations. Therefore, sustainable programs for land use conversion to contribute to soil conservation should be promoted.